Tatnai (R. V. Tattenai)

Governor of Cœle-Syria under Darius Hystaspes (Ezra v. 3). He was one of those who tried to prevent Zerubbabel and Jeshua from continuing the building of the Temple, and who sent to Darius asking that search be made in the royal archives to ascertain whether there was any foundation for the claim put forward by the Jews that Cyrus had given them permission to rebuild the sanctuary.

According to Eduard Meyer ("Entstehung des Judenthums," p. 32, Halle, 1896; comp. also Justi, "Iranisches Namenbuch"), the Old Persian name was probably" Thithinaya" or "Thathanaia." Both the Septuagint and Josephus ("Ant." xi. 4, §§ 5, 6, 7) transcribe the name by Σισίνης.

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